This invention in general relates to an improved handle for use on a baby wipe container that aids a user in cleaning an infant.
Baby wipes are typically used to clean an infant when changing the infant's diapers. One well known type of baby wipe container includes a generally cylindrical enclosure having a lid with a slot-like opening at the top through which wipes are removed. An example of this type of container is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,507. The container disclosed in this patent is quite beneficial and adequately stores the wipes.
Problems, however, exist when using this type of container in the cleaning of an infant. With this type of container it is normally necessary to use one hand to secure the container while pulling a wipe out of the slot. When cleaning an infant it is also necessary to use one hand to secure the legs of the infant. A single user would, of course, only have two hands, but needs three hands (one holding the container, one removing the wipe, and one securing the legs of the infant) to perform all the necessary steps with cleaning the infant. Thus it is sometimes difficult for a single user to use this type of container.
This is a real problem, since it is difficult to estimate how many wipes may be needed in any particular cleaning. Thus, the user may need to remove additional wipes while in the process of cleaning the infant. If the user is required to release the infant's legs to remove additional wipes, the infant may move about, which is undesirable during the cleaning process. The infant is usually soiled and by moving about can spread fecal or other materials around the area where the cleaning is being performed. This is undesirable.
It would be preferable to disclose a baby wipe container of this sort having a handle such that a user could use a single hand to secure both the container and the infants legs, while using the other hand to remove a wipe from the container.
The prior art does disclose various types of handles for distinct items. U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,423 discloses a removable handle which can be utilized with various storage members. The handle is apparently used for transporting the member.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,352 also discloses a handle which can be utilized to carry distinct types of storage members. This handle is not utilized in combination with wipe elements.
Various other prior art devices are known, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,889 which discloses a device that includes a wipe worn on a user's wrist. This device is not disclosed for use in cleaning an infant.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,202 discloses a handle for a liquid container. This handle is not used in combination with wipe elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,026 discloses a member for feeding premoistened towelettes from a dispenser.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,742,279; 4,206,529 and 4,580,695 all disclose various items that contain tissues, or other wiping elements and which include a handle.
None of the above-discussed U.S. Patents solve the problem discussed above. Prior art baby wipe containers having a slot at the top for removing wipes have, in some cases, utilized a handle. The handle utilized on these elements is, however, a handle integrally formed with the container and utilized for transporting the container.
It is thus an object of the present invention to disclose a handle for use in combination with a baby wipe container, and a method of using such a handle and container, to clean an infant.